The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-02-04
THE RAGPICKERS.
ONE ELEMENT OF THE POPULA-
TON OF A GREAT CITY.


Ragpickcrs form a very important clo'
ment OF the busy population OF great city
like Brooklyn, and a careful observation OF
their methods will reveal some curious and
interesting facts They arc properly di'
vided into four distinct classes, each having
separate field of action and seldom in
frinGing upon tho territory of tho other divis-
ions of the fraternity. Tho first class, who
could quite properly DO called the upper ten
Of ragpickerdom, includes tho itinerant deal
crs who conduct their business by means OF
dilapidatcd looking horses and wagons. They
would undoubtedly Indignantly resent their
classification with ordinary ragpickers, but
candor compels mo to name them as such.
They pay an annual license fee of S3 for the
privilege of buying tho city's rubbish.
They pay higher price for goods than
the mon who propel the handcarts, and fire.
qucntly hire shops of their own for assort-
mcnt and storage CT their purchases. They
generally carry on thriving business, and
from long experience and acquaintance
know where the choicest rags arc found.
They have regular dates for calling on small
tailoring establishments in order to secure
the cuttings and trimmings which are too
small to bs used by rag manufacturers.
They also get tho pickings of small shirt
factories, printing houses book bindcries
and score of similar establishments.
THE HAND CART ARMY.
4 Tho second class comprises tho army Of
hand cart dealers who can be seen every
day pushing their trucks, adorned with
from ono to a score of motley shaped, sized
and toned bells. along in front of them.
They arc avaricious in their dealings, man
ago to 1.-Two in moderate circumstances and
are willing to purchase number Of articles
which most people classify as rubbish. But
what is rubbish to some peoplc-iron and
other metals, bones and old c,rpets and a null
titude of similar articles-is thus bought by
the thousands of pounds daily. This class
is always well posted in the tricks Of tho
trade, and have certain streets which they
have drummed for years. By long expert
cnce they learn which of their customers
will sell his rags at any price, and which
will hagglc with them over the last penny.
They often find unexpected treasures in
their purchases, and rarely return anything
valuable that thus comes within their clutch.
We now come to the third class Of rag
,pickers, who are by far tho most aggressive
in their methods. I refer to the rummagers
who are abroad early in tho morning and
late at night, ovcrhauling our ash cans and
ash barrels. They are mostly Italians, and
carry huge bags and a long iron hook, not
unlike a stove poker. They are numbered
by the thousands, are almost unacquainted
with the. laws and customs of this country,
live in the poorest class of tenements, and
by the most stringent economy and indus
try manage to save up quite respectable
bank accounts The Unborn passions of the
Italian race are but little modified by our
climate, or by contact with our people, and
fatal ARRAYS are Of frequent occurrence
among them. They are clannish, preserve
their national customs, subsist on the cheap
est food and endure privations and hard
ships that would kill nine out of ten Of our
native population. This class take every
thing from barrel that their hooks will
drag forth-old boots, shoes, hats, rags,
fragments of carpet, bottles, corks, horse
hair, feathers, paper, wood, coal, cigar
stubs-indeed everything except ashes and
clinkers. Often the barrels of brown stone
fronts yield rich finds to these delivers.
A PLETHoRIC BUNDLE.
One day saw swarthy fellow stop be-
fore half a dozen barrels grouped on the
before q Clinton avenue house, and
haul forth article after article, among
which were the following: A Turkish rug,
which was not in shreds by any means, and
which und oubtedly saw subsequent service
in the finders bedchamber; an old hat
which was Immediately substituted for a
cap on tho finders head; old
shoes, rags and articles of tin ware, which
were thrust into his roomy bag, aud an ap-
pie and crust of bread, which, after few
polishes on milord's soiled coat
sleeves, were ravenously devoured. He
had arrived at tbs spot with bag having
emaciated appearance, but left
with a plethoric bundle, under whose weight
hc could hardly stagger.
Harvest time with all rag pickers comes
In the spring. For then 1t is that houses
are cleaned, families move, old carpets. are
thrown away, old garments are discarded
and thousands of articles find their way to
The teeming ash barrel. Brooklyn pays about
e65, 900 annually for the removal Of its
lshes, and last year over 900, 900 loads were
carted to tho low lots which abound in
South Brooklyn and elsewhere. It is near
these dumps in miserable novels, that the
asst, but by no means the least class of this
great family Of ragpickers dwell. They are
Up betimes in the morning awaiting the ar
ival Of the ash carts like Us many vultures
would await the coming of prey, and no
,arrion crows ever plunged their talons in
The carcass of dead COW with more vorac-
ty than these people settle down to frouzy
of the ash heaps. A person |
would suppose that little remains in the |
lshes after the rummaging of the Italian
treet pickers. But men, women and chill
lren by tho hundreds work there with bag
md basket from sunrise to sunset. Old !
'oal scuttles, pots, kettles, pans, broken
,rockery, hats, caps, bonnets, cast off gar
nents, feathers coal, wood and multitudes
# similar articles arc taken to the finders
hanties and cleaned and repaired for per-
onal use. Old metal, rags, paper, bon,s
,ottlcs, tin cails and scraps of tin, hair,
o-l;s, bits Of leather and ropc are carried
way foc assortment end sale.-Brooklyn
eagle.
Talking Across the Continent.
"I've heard oil the stories of long telc-